Comments on: Fremont News of the Dayhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/
Sun, 19 Jul 2015 23:22:00 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.2.3By: Margarethttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/comment-page-1/#comment-12937
Sun, 27 Jun 2010 00:12:33 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7063#comment-12937The City of Newark is playing the old bait-and-switch game. It appears that early Friday the city posted a meeting notice at City Hall stating the adjourned city council meeting for Area 3-4 and redevelopment will take place on Monday, June 28 7:30 in the council chambers. It isn’t posted on the city web site. You must drive down to city hall and look inside on the posting board. Hope you all can make it. The city is hoping no one shows up.
]]>By: Margarethttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/comment-page-1/#comment-12932
Sat, 26 Jun 2010 18:01:03 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7063#comment-12932The Newark Way and Mayor Smith’s Way are the same thing. The City knew there would be a large attendance but a larger venue was not sought. There were a number of development supporters from the Chamber of
Ccommerce, former council member, friends of the Mayor and real estate folks.

At a June 15 public meeting on the redevelopment plan, Terrence Grindall told those in attendance that they should come to the city council meeting around 9pm if they wished to address the council on redevelopment. You can see if they followed his suggestion they would have been out of luck.

The council will hold a continuance of the meeting on the Area 3-4 development at the council chambers on June 28 7:30. Although the city said the public hearing was closed, I would imagine if enough people showed up this coming Monday and demanded to be heard because they were prevented from attending the June 24 city council meeting, the city would have to let them speak.

Democracy needs to take a stand in Newark and not let the mayor, council or staff trample our rights.

]]>By: Californiaguyhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/comment-page-1/#comment-12925
Fri, 25 Jun 2010 17:48:25 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7063#comment-12925I went to the City Council meeting on Area 3,4. The development of a golf course on wetlands on the end of Stevenson.
I arrived at 7:25PM the item was scheduled at 7:30 PM. There was a line at the elevator with several Newark Policemen that looked like they would rather be somewhere else.
I was told that the Council Chambers were full and a overflow room was full. It was suggested that I take a number and as people leave others will be allowed in.
I had come to speak against the Development of the Wetlands. I polled the others in line and the majority was against developing the wetlands.
My question, did Mayor Smith packed the council Chambers with his and the development supporters. He has shown a lack of judgement before and who could forget his cussing out of some elderly people that were speaking out on something He supported, it was on You tube.
This was not a public meeting as the law dictates, the public only had limited access. I ask the newark Police why they were there in such large numbers, I was told they expected a very large turnout for the Wetland development on the agenda.
If they knew they were going to have a large turn out, why did’nt they move it to a larger venue, so it could be a public meeting.
I repeat it was not a public meeting, the public did not have full access to the meeting.
Is this the newark way or mayor Smithes way?
]]>By: Margarethttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/comment-page-1/#comment-12923
Fri, 25 Jun 2010 16:39:27 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7063#comment-12923Congratulations to the City of Newark for finding a new way to keep the pesky, question-asking public away from City Council meetings.

City staff tells the public that an agenda item won’t be discussed until late in the upcoming city council meeting. Therefore, members of the public who are very interested in that certain agenda item should not arrive at the council chambers until hours into the city council meeting.

The public arrives at the time suggested by city staff only to find they can’t get into the council chambers because room capacity has been met.

What a fine way for public servants to treat the public. Votes to approve the Duck Clubs proposed development and the newest redevelopment plan have been put off until next week. Monday evening for the Duck Clubs destruction plan and Thursday for redevelopment.

One item that Mayor Smith emphasized was that eminent domain would not be used in the new redevelopment plan. Instead, the redevelopment agency (city council)can enforce penalties against property and business owners who don’t go along with the redevelopment program.

Eminent domain can be used to force the O’Conner family off their land at the end of Stevenson. This so an overpass can be built to access the Duck Clubs site. The City can also fund the redevelopment agency to pay for clean-up of 66 acres the City has demanded of the Duck Clubs’ landowner for a city park. No wonder Newark is declaring a fiscal emergency. Someone has to prop up the redevelopment agency. Might as well be taxpayers, including all those shut out of the city council meeting.

]]>By: Margarethttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/comment-page-1/#comment-12902
Thu, 24 Jun 2010 01:41:04 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7063#comment-12902The mayor and council are eager to accept 66 acres as an extortion “donation” on Area 4. This is the same land that the City said in 1999 contained “potentially toxic runoff.” and was “a potentially major drain on Newark taxes.”

The school board is just as negligent. They believe the developer of Area 3-4 will give the district 6 acres of land, all cleaned up and ready for construction. The Development Agreement states the developer will offer to dedicate 6 acres of land “as is” to the City for construction of an elementary school. Looks like the City would bear the cost of clean-up and construction of a school.

As long as the Argus stays quiet, they are a party to the charade. Readers deserve better.

]]>By: Californiaguyhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/comment-page-1/#comment-12899
Wed, 23 Jun 2010 18:05:47 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7063#comment-12899Margaret, I agree with you. While the Newpark Mall is going down hill with Target moving out. The Newpark Cinema is history now that Fremont is building a 16 screen Cinema at Pacific Commons.
The mayor and city council instead of concentrating on improving existing assets, they are plowing ahead with a golf course?
Is this a case of major incompetence by the mayor and city council, is the job to big for them?
Why has the Argus been so quiet this very important subject?
]]>By: jon simonhttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/comment-page-1/#comment-12898
Wed, 23 Jun 2010 15:03:50 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7063#comment-12898http://www.nytimes.com/external/gigaom/2010/06/22/22gigaom-tesla-ipo-will-tesla-see-a-powerhouse-public-offe-23379.html

Article on Tesla that even touches on Solyndra.

]]>By: Margarethttp://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/2010/06/22/fremont-news-of-the-day-28/comment-page-1/#comment-12893
Wed, 23 Jun 2010 04:24:19 +0000http://www.ibabuzz.com/tricitybeat/?p=7063#comment-12893When is the Argus going to start reporting on the shenanigans going on in Newark city hall? A new redevelopment plan that takes up about 15% of the city acreage and untold number of residents. Old Town is a blight, so is the library and the junior high. Many new businesses that have just set up shop in the city are also considered a blight. Parts of the Mall are blighted and so is Alameda County Water District new desalination plant a blight. Smells like a money grab by the city.

Newark is proclaiming a fiscal emergency to place another tax measure on the ballot. A new utility tax whose money can go to prop up the redevelopment agency which also happens to be the city council. The agency already owes the city $400K and there is no plan to pay it back.

Newark is extorting from the landowner, 66 acres of likely contaminated property off Mowry Ave and west of the railroad tracks. In 1999 the city said this land was toxic. Suddenly the city wants it for a park. The landowner promised the city a golf course but that plan has died. To punish the landowner the city is requiring the 66 acre donation. And if that isn’t a shakedown enough, if the landowner cannot build houses on the rest of Area 4, the city can require a “donation” of the whole site.

Time to get some stories going on Newark and the really creative ways it comes up with to bamboozle the public.